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[Hardstorm]

I'm looking at getting new tires for my '06 330i. First upgrade from those junk OEM Bridgestones.

I'm considering Continental's ExtremeContact DWS which have great reviews on Tire Rack and are #1 in their category. I'm also looking at the Michelin Primacy MXM4's, which are Run Flats (which run flat can be a swear word when talking tires). The Michelin's have no ratings on Tire Rack, but have a bunch of excellent reviews on Michelin's site.

I'm torn because the Conti's have the numbers and data to back them up, but Michelin has a great rep and I believe they'd be a good choice. The lack of reviews on tire rack make it hard to have an apples to apples comparison. The price difference is negligible. I don't take my car to the track or anything, but I do drive a little more aggressive here and there. I have snow tires so winter traction doesn't really matter to me.

Any suggestions?

[hawaiianeze]

I'd consider Hankook RS3, Nitto NT05, or Bridgestone RE-11 best performance tires I've ever driven on

[cwg]

+ 1 on the RE-11 Bridgestones. Awesome tire. I have them on both my 135i and my 1990 911.

lol OP comes in asking about all-season tires and you guys recommend an extreme performance summer...

Back to the original question; wait a couple months for the new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 to drop. From what the reviews look like right now, that will probably be the best all-season tire to get out of any that are currently available.

[Mavus]

Originally Posted by Hardstorm

I'm looking at getting new tires for my '06 330i. First upgrade from those junk OEM Bridgestones.

I'm considering Continental's ExtremeContact DWS which have great reviews on Tire Rack and are #1 in their category. I'm also looking at the Michelin Primacy MXM4's, which are Run Flats (which run flat can be a swear word when talking tires). The Michelin's have no ratings on Tire Rack, but have a bunch of excellent reviews on Michelin's site.

I'm torn because the Conti's have the numbers and data to back them up, but Michelin has a great rep and I believe they'd be a good choice. The lack of reviews on tire rack make it hard to have an apples to apples comparison. The price difference is negligible. I don't take my car to the track or anything, but I do drive a little more aggressive here and there. I have snow tires so winter traction doesn't really matter to me.

Any suggestions?

Mich MXM is junk - no steering feedback and very little grip. I replaced them on my Acura TL w/RE970. Much better tire.

RE-11, Direzza - overkill if you are not tracking.

RS3 - terrible in rain but good grip on dry roads.

Stick with PS2 or PSS, and even 970as. I have PS2 RFT and it is much better than Bricks but still hard. PSS, PS2 are expensive but the stability, steering feedback and grip (dry and wet) is excellent. They also last a long time. You get what you pay for.

RE970 is very good but it does not handle as well as PS2. It is also very good in rain. I would get it if you are using your car as dd only and don't push it often.

GL

[Flyer]

You'll be very disappointed in any grand touring tires unless you never drive the least bit spirited.

[JayP]

I had Continental ExtremeContact DW and i was really satisfied with them. Lasted long and handled very good.

Make sure you dont buy the DWS .. as the S stands for SNOW.

[kevistador]

+1 for Michelin PSS (PS2 RFT were also great tires)

[geko29]

Originally Posted by JayP

Make sure you dont buy the DWS .. as the S stands for SNOW.

Did you not notice he lives in Iowa? If he's asking for suggestions on AS tires, chances are he doesn't have a separate set of winter wheels/tires. As such, suggesting he avoid tires that can be used in winter is unhelpful at best and irresponsible at worst.

The DWS's are pretty great as an AS tire goes. Good handling, great ride quality, long tread wear. Good performance in wet and snow also, not so great on ice (unsurprisingly). They're definitely a good option, though I agree with the suggestion of checking out the pilot a/s sport 3. They'll probably be quite a bit more expensive though.

Of course, the best--and most expensive--option is to have dedicated winter wheels/tires, and dedicated summer wheels/tires. You get the best possible performance (depending on tire selection) in all weather conditions.

[JayP]

Originally Posted by geko29

Did you not notice he lives in Iowa? If he's asking for suggestions on AS tires, chances are he doesn't have a separate set of winter wheels/tires. As such, suggesting he avoid tires that can be used in winter is unhelpful at best and irresponsible at worst.

The DWS's are pretty great as an AS tire goes. Good handling, great ride quality, long tread wear. Good performance in wet and snow also, not so great on ice (unsurprisingly). They're definitely a good option, though I agree with the suggestion of checking out the pilot a/s sport 3. They'll probably be quite a bit more expensive though.

Of course, the best--and most expensive--option is to have dedicated winter wheels/tires, and dedicated summer wheels/tires. You get the best possible performance (depending on tire selection) in all weather conditions.

First.. title says : ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE OR GRAND TOURING.
Then He said : I have winter tire so winter traction doesn t matter to me.

You think other tire suggested in this thread are AllSeason tires ?

[P Casey]

I have the toyo proxes 4 plus which is a UHP tire. I love them, the grip is what I was looking for and price is great. Not sure if this helps but maybe another option for you.

[VMRWheels]

For us, the Continentals you're considering are the go-to all-season option for our customers. Most of them either request it, or have us suggest it to them. I put a set of them on my sister's car and they are great!

Originally Posted by FCobra94

lol OP comes in asking about all-season tires and you guys recommend an extreme performance summer...

I thought the same thing haha.

[geko29]

Originally Posted by JayP

First.. title says : ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE OR GRAND TOURING.
Then He said : I have winter tire so winter traction doesn t matter to me.

You think other tire suggested in this thread are AllSeason tires ?

My bad, I retract.

[Tom K.]

I've had both the MXM4 and DWS tires. While Michelin makes some great tires, the MXM4 is only average. The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S is comparable to the DWS, but is much more expensive - go with the Conti DWS.

Tom

[Gary@TireRack]

Everyone please keep in mind that there are Pilot MXM4 tires and Primacy MXM4 tires and they are pretty different from each other. The older Pilot MXM4 was used as original equipment on the Acura TL and was not a well-loved tire.

The newer Primacy MXM4 has been much better tire (currently 3rd out of 27 in our customer survey data of Grand Touring tires) and recently finished first in one of our tire tests :

More info :

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....&affiliate=FH8

[m98e90post]

Conti EC DWS is great all season's. Had it on Evo in snow country@5000ft. My son just switched it back yesterday after running Blizzak ws60's for the winter. Great for that unexpected OOPS late snow.

I have Blizzak RF LM25's on 135i all winter in snow country--wonderful grip, no need for extra weight in rear and fun to drift around if so inclined. However, I have to REALLY make sure the snow is done before I switch to my Summer Max Perf tires.

My Mz3 has Mich PS2 last 6 years but that's Hawaiian weather FTW.


BTW, Runflats are not a swear word if you're stranded@20 degrees F in a foot of snow!